Wolverhampton Wanderers are looking to make a bid for Metz midfielder Boubacar Traore with manager Bruno Lage targeting additions in the middle of the pitch.
What’s the story?
According to The Sun, Wolves are lining up an £8m bid for the 20-year-old who has made 16 appearances in Ligue 1 so far this season, scoring one goal.
However, it has been reported that the bid won’t be made until the summer.
The Malian is highly rated and deemed to be an exciting prospect having made his debut in the French top-flight at the end of the last campaign.
Metz are also believed to be holding out for a higher transfer fee but are open to the idea of selling Boubacar.
Wolves could have themselves a bargain
At just 20 years of age, Boubacar certainly appears to possess bags of potential and could prove to be a shrewd acquisition for Wanderers.
Midfield is certainly an area where Bruno Lage’s side lack numbers with Joao Moutinho, Ruben Neves and Leander Dendoncker the club’s only senior midfielders.
Moreover, Moutinho is 35 and will surely soon struggle to maintain the high standard he’s set for himself whilst Neves has been subject to heavy interest from Manchester United.
Now a regular in Metz’s side, Traore is only going to improve and by the end of the campaign could be a mouth-watering prospect for the West Midlands club going into next season.
With Moutinho and Neves both enjoying fruitful campaigns, it is currently difficult to see how the youngster would find himself playing regular football at Molineux. However, by the summer the picture could be completely different.
At least one of the two Portuguese midfielders could have departed the West Midlands by the time a deal is struck for Traore. Another possibility is that Wolves may secure themselves European football for next season and will require extra squad depth which would potentially prove to be a clear pathway to regular game time for the 20-year-old.
Should a bid of around £8m be sufficient to secure the Malian’s services, Wolves could also secure themselves a fantastic bargain.